Assay-button dropper.



PATENTED DEG. 13, 1904. E. KELLER, A. FERRELL 6: 4K. W. MUGOMAS.

ASSAY BUTTON DROPPER.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 1s. 1904.

NO MODEL.

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7 V, M uw ZKM @Hummm fleuren STATEs Patented December 13, 1904.

Parnivr @idrica EDWARD KELLER, ALBERT FERRELL, AND KENNEIH lV. MOUOMAS,OF BALTIMORE, h/IARYLAND.

ASSAY-BUTTON DROFFJEH.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,421, dated December13, 1904. Application filed September 13, 1904. Serial No. 224,336. (Nomodel.)

T0 all whom, t may concern.'

Beit known that we, EDWARD KELLER, AL- BERT FnnnnLL, and KENNETH W.MoCoMAs, citizens of the United States, residing at Baltimore city,Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAssay-Button Droppers; and we do hereby declare the followingl to beafull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had tothc accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and tothe letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for use inlaboratory assay-work, especially cupellation, the objects of theinvention being to facilitate the handling and placing of the smallpieces of' metal resulting from scorification and known as L buttons inthe cupels after the latter are in the cupelingfurnace and heated to therequisite degree.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective viewof an assaybutton dropper embodying the present improvements. Fig. 2 isa sectional view through the same with cupels in position to receive thebuttons. Fig. 3 is a section at right angles to Fig.2

Like letters of reference in the several ligures indicate the sameparts.

In assaying by the cupellation process the lead buttons resulting' fromscorification are placed in bone-ash cupels, the latter having' beenpreviously placed in a cupeling-furnace and heated to the requisitedegree. Usually a number of cupels are placed in the furnace, and at theproper time the furnace is opened and the lead buttons are dropped oneby one in the cupels by means of long-handled pincers. As the result ofsuch procedure, not only is the furnace kept open for along period, butthe workman is so exposed to the heat of the furnace that protectivemeasures have to be observed, and the buttons will melt and the processproceed serially in the order of their insertion, thereby retarding thefinal result and causing a lack of uniformity, which in practice isfound disadvantageous.

To overcome the difliculties mentioned and to secure other advantage, weprovide animfurnace and the lead buttons simultaneously dropped intotheir respective cupels by amanipulation requiring scarcely more laboror time than required in the placing' of' a single button in its cupelby the )rdinary practice.

Generally speaking', the implement embodies a support, plate, or base A,having a series of apertures B tlierethrough and flanges (l projectingon the under sideand in such relation to the apertures that when a cupelor series of cupels rest against the flange see dotted lines, Fig. 2)the recesses or craters in the cupels will register with the openings inthe support A.. The flange preferably projects from the front edge andone end of the support, thus serving as the means for determining whenthe support is in proper position, or if the cupels are not regularlyarranged a short diagonal movement will crowd them together, as well asposition them to register with the apertures.

The support is provided with a handle F of convenient length and a slideG, having apertures H, which may be brought into registry with theapertures in the plate, although they are normally out of registrytherewith, as shown in Fig. l. -The slide is provided with anoperating-rod I, preferably extended through guides on the handle andhaving at its outer end a hand or linger piece vf, by means of which theslide may be manipulated. In the preferred construction a spring K isprovided for holding' the slide with its apertures normally in oneposition or the other, and the workman only needs to move it by pressurein one direction against the tension of the spring.

In use the lead buttons are placed in the apertures in the slide andrest on the support, the furnace is opened and the dropper passed in andbrought into proper relation to the cupels, the latter, if necessary,being' straightened and arranged by the flange, and in any instance theflange serves as a guide to indicate when the apertures in thebase-plate are in register with the cupels. To deposit the buttons, itis only necessary to move the slide until its apertures register withthe apertures in the support, when the butto'ns will drop through andthe implement may be immediately withdrawn from the furnace.

Obviously the capacity of the implement may be varied by increasing ordecreasing the number of pockets or apertures, and while three rows areshown in the implement of the drawings it may well have but one or tworows, especially where the number of samples to be essayed is not greator the capacity of the furnace is small.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isl. In metal-assay work, an assay-buttondropper embodying a portable handled support for a series of buttonsadapted to be introduced into the furnace and a slide mounted on saidsupport for simultaneously discharging all of the buttons from thesupport into cupels arranged in the furnace for their reception;substantially as described. p

2. In metal-assay work, an assay-button dropper embodying a portablehandled support for a series of buttons adapted to be introduced intothe furnace, a slide mounted on said 'support for simultaneouslydischarging all of the buttons from the support and an operating-rodextending parallel with and guided by the handle of the support;substantially as described.

3. In metal-assay work, an assay-button dropper embodying a portablehandled support adapted to be introduced into the furnace having aseries of apertures therein, and a slide mounted on the support fordischarging a series of assay-buttons through said apertures;substantially as described.

4L. In metal-assay work, an assay-button dropper embodying a portablehandled support adapted to be introduced into the furnace having aseries of apertures therein and a slide mounted on the support andhaving a series of apertures therein adapted to be brought into registrywith the apertures in the support and an operating-rod for the slide;substantially as described.

5. In metal-assay work, an assay-button dropper embodying a handledsupport for a series of buttons having a downwardly-extending ange forpositioning the support with relation to a series of cupels and a slidemounted on the support for simultaneously discharging' the buttons intothe cupels; substantially as described.

6. In metal-assay work, an assay-button dropper embodyinga handledsupport for a series of buttons having' a downwardly-extending iiangealong two of its sides, a slide mounted on the support and having anoperating-rod; substantially as described.

7. In metal-assay work, an assay-button dropper embodying a handledsupport having a series of apertures therein and a downwardly-extendingflange, and a slide mounted on the top of said support forsimultaneously discharging a series of buttons through the apertures;substantially as described.

8. In metal-assay work, an assay-button dropper embodying a portablehandled support adapted to be introduced into the furnace having aseries of apertures therein and a slide mounted on the support andhaving a series of apertures therein adapted to be brought into registrywith the apertures in the support, an operating-rod for the slide, andthe spring for returning' the slide to normal position.

EDWARD KELLER. ALBERT FERRELL. KENNETH W'. MCGOMAS.

Witnesses:

JOHN Gr. MUELLER, EDWARD SCHAEFER.

